Ray Shero, a longtime NHL executive and the son of Flyers coaching legend Fred Shero, passed away. He was 62.
The Minnesota Wild, the organization Shero had been working for as a senior advisor to the general manager for the past four years, announced his death on Wednesday afternoon.
Shero grew up around the Flyers as his father, Fred, known as "The Fog," coached the Broad Street Bullies era of the team to their back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 1974 and 1975.
His career in hockey, however, was a path all his own.
Shero served as an assistant general manager for the Ottawa Senators and then the Nashville Predators upon their expansion into the NHL through the 1990s and into the early 2000s, then he became the GM for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2006, who with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Marc-André Fleury already at the core, were built into a Stanley Cup winner three years later.
Shero was also the GM for the New Jersey Devils for five years from 2015-2020, which saw the organization draft their current captain Nico Hischier and then their star center Jack Hughes as No. 1 overall picks in the summers of 2017 and 2019, respectively.
“Ray Shero’s smile and personality lit up every room he walked into and brightened the day of everyone he met," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement upon word of Shero's passing. "Widely respected throughout hockey for his team-building acumen and eye for talent, he was even more beloved for how he treated everyone fortunate enough to have known him."
“Whenever we ran into each other at a rink when he was scouting, it was clear he loved what he was doing and I always marveled at his infectious enthusiasm," Bettman continued. "The entire National Hockey League family mourns his passing and sends our deepest condolences to the Shero family and Ray’s many friends throughout the hockey world.”
Shero's son, Kyle, works for the Flyers as an amateur scout.
"The Flyers mourn the loss of long-time hockey and NHL executive, Ray Shero," the team said in a statement. "The Shero family has been, and always will be, a special part of the Flyers organization for many generations. Their impact on our team and city has left a lasting mark which will always be felt.
"Ray spent many of his childhood years in our family, and throughout his career, he forged many relationships through a special bond with the Flyers. Our deepest condolences to the Shero family, his sons Chris and Kyle, and friends during this very difficult time."
RIP Ray Shero. Condolences to Kyle and the entire family. pic.twitter.com/aSl2lgTN4W
— Bill Meltzer (@billmeltzer) April 9, 2025
Follow Nick on Twitter: @itssnick
Follow Nick on Bluesky: @itssnick
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice Sports
